Data collection and transparency are critical during an active fire scene, but also after it has been concluded. With MSA’s FireGrid, powered by MSA’s software subsidiary Safety io, which has recently achieved  ISO/IEC 27001 certification, fire departments have gained an additional layer of information security management.

Data collection process

FireGrid is an easily accessible cloud-based software platform that helps improve firefighter safety by increasing a department’s capability for managing people, products,  and processes. On-scene information is aggregated from products and is available for immediate usage or stored for post-scene data reporting. So, it could be used by a department’s incident commander, someone monitoring off-scene in a remote manner, a fleet maintenance manager, or even a training officer. The FireGrid applications enable monitoring, maintenance, reporting, and inventory management. 

Independent audit for certification

Obtaining the ISO27001 certification was preceded by an extensive, independent, external audit provided by Bureau Veritas, an accredited independent body. The certificate is an internationally recognized information security management system standard (ISMS) published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The ISO certification, according to ISO/IEC 27001:2013, guarantees that FireGrid is a comprehensive information security software that manages and maintains customers’ data.

Keeping data confidential and secure

To help ensure that information remains confidential and safe, we maintain a rigorous data privacy policy and deploy robust  protection systems that cover:

• Data Storage – services and infrastructure are hosted in data centers managed by Amazon Web Services (AWS) – recognized as one of the most secure infrastructures in the world.
• Data Privacy Policy – Safety io has a public privacy policy, which details the types of personal information collected, how this information is handled, and customers’ privacy rights.
• Access Controls and Authentication – in order to upload or access data, verified user authentication is required.
• Data Access and Usage – Safety io provides an advanced set of access, encryption, and logging features to help customers access and control their data more effectively.
• Backups and Recovery – customer data is backed up and encrypted daily.
• Incident Response – a plan consisting of responsibilities and procedures in case of an actual or suspected security incident.​
• Annual Penetration Tests on applications, infrastructure, and APIs conducted by a qualified third party with the agreement in place.

Advanced technologies to secure data

From the moment a firefighter jumps off the rig, FireGrid Cloud-Connected Software feeds incident and firefighter data to on-scene officers and remote personnel in real-time, ensuring everyone back at the station knows what’s happening on the ground. For this reason, helping to keep workers safe means keeping sensitive data safe, too. To find out more about how FireGrid can protect your data click here